Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastes-growing metropolitan ares in the United States. With a 2008 estimated population of 537,958, Atlanta is the thirty-third largest city in the United States, and the 28-county Atlanta Metropolitan Area is the eight largest such region in the United States, and the largest in Southeastern U.S. with more than 5,376,285 residents. The Atlanta Combined Statistical Area, home to 5,729,304 people, is the tenth largest in the country.

Concidered a top business city and transportation hub, Atlanta is the world headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T Mobility, and Delta Air Lines. The surrounding area contains additional corporate headquarters, including Home Depot and UPS. Atlanta has the country's third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies along with Chicago inside city boundaries, and more than 75% of the Fortune 1000 companies have a presence in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is located seven miles south of downtown Atlanta, is the world's busiest airport and the only major airport to serve the city.

Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County and the fifth location for the seat of government of the state of Georgia. A small portion of the city of Atlanta corporate limits extends into Dekalb County. Reisdents of the city are known as Atlantans.